More jail time for Thai man over anti-monarchy graffiti

An elderly Thai man was given an additional 18 months in prison for scribbling an anti-monarchy message in a shopping mall toilet, months after being jailed for the same offence in a different location.

Ophas Chansuksei, 68, was given an 18-month sentence in March for lese-majesty for writing anti-monarchy messages in a toilet cubicle in a central Bangkok mall.

He was convicted by the Bangkok Military Court on Friday of having written a similar message on the door of a different toilet in the same building.

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his heir apparent are protected by strict lese-majesty laws, which carry prison terms of between three and 15 years for offenders.

Critics argue that the legislation is often abused to advance political and personal agendas and vendettas.

Bhumibol is the world’s longest-reigning monarch. He is revered in Thailand, where he is seen as a unifying figure.